Virgie's Inheritance eBook

“Mamma!” she cried, passionately, and
bursting into tears, for she had been working herself
up as well, “when I am away from her I hate her
for having won him from me, and I am almost ready
to do anything desperate; but when I am with her she
disarms me; there is something about the girl that
almost makes me love her. If you could have seen
her this morning, she looked so proud and happy when
I praised the baby.”

“Sadie Farnum, I do believe you are becoming
demented! Here is poor Lady Linton almost heart-broken
over her brother’s mesalliance, his
mother lies at death’s door on account of the
excitement caused by it, while you, who ought to be
the most interested party of all, are about to turn
traitress and go over to the enemy just because of
a foolish sentimentality for this doll-faced girl.
I declare, I have no patience with you.”

“I think you have said enough, mamma,”
replied Miss Farnum, coldly, and wiping away her tears,
“but there may come a time when you will regret
your present attitude—­when you will be sorry
that you strove to inculcate such a bitter spirit
into the mind of your only daughter. Lady Linton
for some strange reason wanted us to come here and
see for ourselves what this girl is like; we have
seen her. Let us go our way now and not revive
old hopes and ambitions, which, to say the least,
are not pleasant to remember under the circumstances.
Yes, let us end this disagreeable business, and leave
Sir William Heath’s wife alone.”

“I am not ready to leave New York yet, and we
will stay where we are for the present,” responded
Mrs. Farnum, flushing a deep red, for she had never
told her daughter of the plot which she was helping
Lady Linton to carry out, and she saw now that it
would not be wise to do so, since Sadie might flatly
refuse to have anything to do with it, and in her present
state of mind, might do something to upset their well-laid
schemes.

Chapter XIV.

The Plot Begins to Work.

The acquaintance between the Farnums and Virgie progressed
rapidly after the meeting between Sadie and the young
wife. Mrs. Farnum was duly introduced, and did
not prove to be nearly so formidable a personage as
Virgie had imagined her to be; for although she was
not drawn toward her as she had been to her daughter,
yet she was so gracious and exerted herself to be
so agreeable, that Virgie could but acknowledge to
herself that she was a very pleasant and entertaining
person.

Visits were exchanged almost every day between them;
the baby was praised and admired, and Virgie was petted
and made much of, until her heart and confidence were
entirely won.

They insisted upon her driving with them; “the
fresh air would do her good,” Mrs. Farnum declared,
“for she had noticed during the last week that
she was losing color;” and thus she made many
excursions with the two ladies, and visited many points
of interest. They even proposed that they should
go into the country together, as it was getting so
oppressively warm in the city; but Virgie would not
listen to this proposition, because of her anxiety
for letters, and the hope that Sir William might be
coming for her.